Trombonist, educator and composer Peter Lin has released his debut album titled, With Respect with his group Peter Lin The Lintet. Lin received his B.A. Music from William Paterson University and MM for Jazz Trombone Studies at Rutgers University. He is currently a faculty member at Jazz House Kids in Montclair, NJ. With Respect delivers nonet playing on seven tracks. Five are jazz arrangements of Chinese and Taiwanese popular songs, one original composition by Lin and one arrangement of a Slide Hampton tune. The music and playing is deeply rooted in the jazz tradition and Lin’s playing is melodic and his tone is big, warm and he has good control of his intonation and phrasing. The five horn writing is exquisite, the music is swinging and sways on the Latin feels, with solos that are highly musical. That’s the short of it!
Positives:
Stunning arrangements and the original by Lin is equally brilliant. The band has a memorable ensemble sound and Lin shows his skills as a leader, arranger, composer and soloist.
Bottom Line:
Keeping the solid jazz sounds of the five horn ensembles alive, you can certainly count Peter Lin The Lintet as a part of that lineage. Lead by Peter Lin, their debut album, With Respect, has plenty of sounds familiar to the 50’s and 60’s jazz vocabulary and five horn voicing stylings. The players are all first-rate and the solos are spirited, melodious and fit the overall presentation of the music. The bottom line is, Lin has compiled an excellent set of seven tunes played by nine skilled musicians that will enthuse, arouse and entertain your senses. It is equally admirable that Lin is putting focus on his lineage, combined with the jazz idiom, it makes for a compelling listen.